She got her first recording gig at age 18, on a Janice Kapp Perry album. "I got $50 an hour, and I thought, 'This is what I want to do.' "

First there was some college, some singing and dancing in theaters across the country, and a gig at Opryland. "That was the best. That was so much fun."

Then she married her husband, Scott.

Her first big songwriting experience came when she signed on as a staff writer with a production company in the Midwest that produced jingles and ads for radio and television. That earned her four Addy Awards for excellence in advertising.

After the Frogleys returned to Utah, she got a job as the musical director at Lagoon. "That was great. We put on six shows a summer, and I could hire all the best musicians, so that was where I really connected with them and started getting jobs arranging and doing studio work."

At the 2002 Winter Olympics torch-lighting ceremony, Frogley was asked to fill in for Aretha Franklin, who had originally been booked but had a last-minute conflict. Frogley also stood in for Gladys Knight in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 at a 2005 concert. One of her most challenging fill-ins, however, came when she took the place of a soprano and sight-read an entire oratorio. She feels as much at ease with classical music as she does with pop.

Frogley is also the mother of four children, ranging in age from 8 years to 4 months. "That's important to me. I love being a mom. That's my first priority. Music is just a fun challenge. It's great because there's music to fit every mood, to suit every person. Music adds the color to life."

She says she feels very lucky to be one of the people who "have a natural knack for it," and she's excited to "see how far I can reach."

Over the years, Frogley has had a lot of opportunities, she says, but she's also had a lot of fun. One thing she's learned about herself is this: "I don't need to be a star. I love the music. I want to share the music. People ask me when I'm going to L.A. or somewhere. But I wouldn't want that life. I'm totally happy, totally content where I am."

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E-mail: carma@desnews.com